Who's feeding the protest? At Jantar Mantar, meals keep arriving from strangers
I had barely stepped inside the protest site at Jantar Mantar when another delivery rider walked in carrying cartons of food. Before volunteers could finish
I had barely stepped inside the protest site at Jantar Mantar when another delivery rider walked in carrying cartons of food. Before volunteers could finish unloading them, someone pointed to another rider waiting outside. Then another. For around 20 minutes, the scene repeated itself. At one end of the protest, volunteers served dal chawal. A few metres away, another group was handing out rajma chawal. Tea and sandwiches had arrived earlier in the morning. By evening, burgers would begin showing up. Crates of bottled water lined the pavements. Nobody seemed worried about the next meal. Read Full Story What caught me by surprise wasn't just the quantity of food, it was the mystery behind it. Every volunteer I spoke to said the same thing, which is that they rarely know who has paid for the deliveries. They only know where the order has come from. As the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest entered another week, one of the strongest displays of support wasn't unfolding on the stage or in speeches. It was arriving quietly in paper bags and food cartons, ordered by strangers from cities hundreds of kilometres away. Many protesters say this wave of support gathered pace after the July 20th crackdown, when people who couldn't join the protest in person found another way to participate. FOR THE FIRST TIME, I FEEL THE COUNTRY IS STANDING TOGETHER Mohammad Faizan Faraz, a protester from Delhi, says he had never witnessed such public support for a movement. "This is the first time I've seen such overwhelming public support for a protest. People are helping in whatever way they can, from far and wide. It feels really good. Today, it truly feels like the whole country is standing together. We never expected to receive this much support," he says.
He thanked those backing the protest and urged more people to join. "A big thank you to everyone standing with us. And to those who are still thinking about coming, please come here and stand shoulder to shoulder with us." DELIVERIES WITHOUT NAMES, SUPPORT WITHOUT FACES Rohit, a food distribution volunteer from Chandigarh, has been coming to the protest every day for the past week. He said the volume of deliveries changed dramatically after July 20. "People started sending food deliveries in huge quantities after the July 20 protest. Nobody who sends food tells us their name. We only know where the food has come from," he says. According to him, food and water are now arriving from places far beyond Delhi. "People are sending food even from Nagpur and Maharashtra. Water is also being delivered. Neither the protesters nor the volunteers have had to order anything ourselves. Everything is arriving in bulk, and there is no shortage of anything," he adds. FOR THREE DAYS, NOBODY HAS NEEDED TO ORDER FOOD For Kailash, who has travelled from Gurugram every day for the past six days, feeding the crowd has become less about planning and more about making space for the next delivery. "People are sending all the food through Zomato and Swiggy. For the last three days, nobody has had to order anything," he says. He pointed towards multiple food distribution points operating simultaneously across the protest site. "We have enough drinking water. Food arrangements are in place from morning till night, and deliveries have been pouring in continuously for the past three days. There are at least 10 to 12 food distribution points across the protest site." The menu, he laughed, changes every few hours. "At lunchtime, some people are eating dal chawal while others are having rajma chawal.
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